ICAN’s Free Teen Programs Give Back to Chandler Community

While our programs are available for ages 5 to 18, ICAN has a program that focuses specifically on teens. Teens are at a turning point in their lives where their decisions can determine their future path. With 9 rival gangs in the downtown Chandler area and substance abuse on the rise, Chandler teens are exposed to pressures in the community and how they handle them can make a big difference. The ICAN Peer Leadership program engages teens through mentoring, community service, leadership, and positive role modeling.

The Peer Leadership program provides a support system to assist in making positive choices when it comes to life decisions. There are opportunities for teens to give back to their community, exampled by a drive they held for the homeless in Chandler to help them get through the holidays safe with necessities such as blankets. Academic success is an important part of moving into the future, and ICAN provides homework help including weekly math tutoring with engineers from General Dynamics who volunteer their time. ICAN provides opportunities to develop the necessary job skills, leadership skills, and teamwork abilities to become independent, productive and self sufficient members of our community as a Youth Trainee.

ICAN Peer Leader Nykia, age 17, has been part of the program for over a year now, “ICAN is a great place where you meet beautiful and inspirational people. ICAN is not just an after school program, and not like most. It’s a place where you learn to build on yourself. While learning about yourself you are creating friendships that break, bend, and test, but last a life time.”

Nykia lives in a single family home with 3 siblings where her mother is working full time to support the family. Nykia has taken on the role of supporting the household through taking charge of housework, cooking, cleaning, and mentoring her 2 younger siblings, including helping them with homework. ICAN is her place to get support for her own academic and leadership development.

“ICAN staff and volunteers have taken me in as one of their own. ICAN is like a home away from home. They have changed my point of view on life. Before coming to ICAN I didn’t care what people thought or their feelings. Until one day I was encouraged to self-reflect and that’s when I started being the best that I can be. Without ICAN I wouldn’t have a safe place to go to after school, but most importantly I wouldn’t have found positive role models and friends. At ICAN everyone is accepted as an individual and treated with respect. Walking inside of ICAN you feel the warm embrace of the staff and the members. Not only have they helped mold me, but they have helped me mold my community too.”

To join ICAN’s Peer Leadership program, download the membership form and bring in to our location at 201 S. Washington St, Chandler.

If you would like to learn more about ICAN’s Peer Leadership program, contact Teen Programs Manager, Venus, at 480.821.4207 or venus@icanaz.org

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